Colorado National Monument Things to Do

This photo was taken along the Black Ridge Trail. From this vantage point, you can see a sample of all the scenery Colorado National Monument has to offer. The plateau drops off near one of the canyons, exposing the black sandstone cliff in the distance. The view stretches even farther still, hundreds of miles toward the San Juan mountains.

Like most wilderness areas, Colorado National Monument was created by the patient yet powerful forces of nature. The monuments' sandstone landscape was created by an evolutionary process which began 300 million years ago.

The once mountain range uplifted, probably due to the shifting of plates beneath the Earth's surface, the sediment eroded and the area became a broad flat plain. Red sand washed through the plain in the wake of the rivers and winds swept even more sand on the surface. This process continued for tens of millions of years, creating the layers of sandstone which are now visible today.

Rim Rock drive climbs about 2,000 feet in a series of hairpin turned switchbacks. From the road's summit near the Visitor's Center, the town of Grand Junction is visible below, and far off on the distant horizon, the San Juan Mountains form the backdrop of this otherwise seemingly endless plateau.

The deep canyons are perhaps the most striking feature of Colorado National Monument. The canyons were formed by the uplifting of an ancient Rocky Mountain range, millions of years ago. Today, the canyon's depths are places of solitude, as few venture that far into the region. Unfortunately, these canyons amplify the traffic and other noise from neighboring cities and, while its possible to hike without seeing another person, the presence of man is made well known and quite audibly.

Another photograph taken near the visitor center. In the distance, the mountains are seen, serving as a reminder that you are still in Colorado. With all this flat scenery and red rocks, its easy to get confused.

Rim Rock drive is a 23 mile winding road which is shared by motorists and cyclists. The viewpoints along this road face the high sheer cliifs of the monument. In contrast, this picture was taken while hiking along a short trail near the Rim Rock Visitor's Center. The flat plateau stretching east of the monument is markedly different from the views of monument walls in the other directions.

I believe this is the Cold Shivers Point but not 100% certain. We were fortuante as dark, ominous clouds loomed nearby yet we never were rained on.

East of the Grand View Lookout are the massive rounded stones named the Coke Ovens. There is also a one mile roundtrip trail leading to a closer view.